Roasted Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

The Passover Potluck is a unique annual online event. I’ve invited my friends, both Jewish and non-Jewish, to share recipes that are kosher for Passover. My goals are simple– to foster mutual understanding between different cultures, to introduce you to my foodie friends, and to share yummy recipes and cooking ideas for Passover! To learn more about the Passover holiday, click here. To learn about what makes a recipe kosher for Passover, click here. To check out the other Passover Potluck recipes, click here.

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So here’s a funny story. I connected with this girl named Jackie online– she writes a food blog called Domestic Fits. We quickly became blogging buddies. From day one, we just seemed to “click.” She’s also a Southern California blogger, so we decided to meet up at a local foodie event. When we first saw each other in person, Jackie smiled. “I thought it might be you, and now that I see you in person I know it’s true!” Jackie reminded me that we were good friends back in 4th grade. We both come from a small hometown on the Central Coast of California. We shared the same small circle of friends that year. I’m pretty sure we even went to each other’s birthday parties. At the end of the year, Jackie’s family moved to Washington, and we lost touch. She ended up getting married (with a different last name– which is why it took me longer to recognize her!). Eventually, she started a food blog.

Years and years later, we found each other online and had that instant connection. Weird, right?? It’s a small, small world!

Anyway, I love Jackie’s blog, and not just because she’s my 4th grade buddy. She’s a talented cook and a wonderful photographer. Today, she’s sharing a dairy side dish for the Passover Potluck – her Roasted Mushroom Quinoa Risotto. This would be terrific as the side dish at a vegetarian or dairy Seder. It’s also a fun one to keep on hand for the week of meals following the Seder– or for any day, really! It’s creamy, delicious, and full of protein. Please note that certain Jews believe quinoa falls under the category of kitniyot, and do not eat it during Passover. There is a growing acceptance of quinoa, however, and there are now brands marked Kosher for Passover. If you’re unsure, it’s best to check with a trusted rabbinical authority. For those who do eat quinoa during Passover, this is a delicious option. Enjoy! ~ Tori

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Jackie says:

I’m Jackie, from Domestic Fits and I’m very honored to be posting here, given that I am, in fact, a Shiksa. Although I’m not Jewish, I have had the pleasure of working for a Jewish organization for the past 3 years. In my off-line life (outside of my blog!) I run a social work program for low-income senior citizens on Los Angeles, most of whom are Jewish. Through my work I have been able to learn so much about the Jewish faith, customs and food. I recently asked a 91-year-old woman I work with what her favorite Jewish food is. “Latkes!” she said, without hesitation. She explained that it was the first food that she had ever learned to make, the first food she taught her daughter AND her granddaughter to make. It has become a tradition for the three of them to make Latkes together every year during Hanukkah, three generations of women spending time in the kitchen together. That sounds like a perfect afternoon to me!

Here is a recipe that I love to make when rice isn’t an option but I still want some carbs! It has a satisfying creaminess with the earthiness of roasted mushrooms.

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place mushrooms on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat.

Roast in the oven until the mushrooms have turned dark and are cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.

Place the vegetable broth in a saucepan and bring to a mild simmer, keeping to warm, but not boiling.

In a separate pot, toast the dry quinoa, stirring constantly, until you can smell a nutty aroma, about 3 minutes.

Remove quinoa from the pot, then add the butter and allow to melt over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until opaque, but don’t allow to brown. Add the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 20 seconds. Stir in the quinoa, cooking until it is completely coated with butter. Don’t allow to brown. About 2 minutes.

Add the wine and cook until the pan begins to dry, stirring frequently. About 4 minutes.

Add a ladle full (about 2/3 cups) of broth into the quinoa. Stir frequently until the broth is almost dry, and then add another ladle full and repeat. This process should take about 15-20 minutes. Don’t leave the risotto while it’s cooking, the quinoa on the bottom of the pan burns easily. If you run out of broth, just use hot water the same way you would broth. If you have made risotto before, just know that the quinoa version will require less broth and cook a bit quicker.

Once your risotto is cooked through (taste it to verify that the quinoa is cooked), turn heat to low and add the cheese, cream and salt and pepper to taste. Risotto should be soft and wet, not dry like typical quinoa. It should be firm enough to be served as a side on a plate, but soft enough to giggle when the plate is shaken. Stir in the mushrooms just before serving.

Hi Sabrina, you could try unsweetened full fat coconut milk. It will change the flavor slightly but not dramatically. Alternatively you could use whole milk, but you may need to cook it down a bit longer (it won’t be as thick) and the flavor won’t be quite as rich.

I make lots of Passover recipes for meat meals using the Pareve whipped topping. I wouldn’t whip it but use it like you would the cream. It would give the quinoa that creamy risotto taste. Obviously leave out the cheese. Also use margarine instead of butter.

I suggested this recipe to my daughter and she made this last night for Passover. It was a HIT !!! Glad I got a little leftover to eat tonight! I will make it myself soon! Thanks Tori – Love your website.

Leslie the last line of the recipe reads: Once your risotto is cooked through (taste it to verify that the quinoa is cooked), turn heat to low and add the cheese, cream and salt and pepper to taste. Risotto should be soft and wet, not dry like typical quinoa. It should be firm enough to be served as a side on a plate, but soft enough to giggle when the plate is shaken. Stir in the mushrooms just before serving.

Hi Ramona, there are many nutrition calculators online where you can plug in the ingredients to find out the information you need. I wish I was able to calculate the information for all of my recipes, but unfortunately I don’t have the time to do it for every recipe. It is something I am keeping in mind for the future, though.

Dairy is such an important component of this dish, I don’t think it’s worth making substitutes… dairy-free subs would make this a completely different dish. Hope you get a chance to try it with a dairy meal someday, it’s delish!

Marci, I think it would be very simple to make this dairy free. Replace the butter with Earth Balance buttery spread. Replace the parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast (which you can find in most health food stores.) Replace the heavy cream with coconut cream or cashes cream. It should work beautifully.

Hi Tori, My daughter turned me on to your blog, and we both think you are terrific!!! Your recipes and great, clear and easy to understand (and I love the step by step pictures that go along with them). But more than that is your blog itself. Each story or recipe is infused with a genuine warmth and love for all things Jewish, and we just love to read them. You have more of a Jewish neshama than many Jews by birth! Thanks again! Ellen Two questions — Isn’t quinoa a berry and not a grain (and this is why many authorities allow it to be eaten for Pesach)? Also — You had said the the mayonnaise in the dill sauce for the salmon would make it dangerous to leave out. I had read that this is a fallacy, and that mayo actually protects food from spoiling, rather than promoting spoilage (as most people mistakenly believe). Do you know which is actually true? Thanks a bunch.

Hey Ellen! Great to hear from you. Quinoa is technically a seed, not a grain (though it is commonly referred to as a grain because it is so grain-like in texture). It is closely related to spinach and Swiss chard. Most kosher authorities agree that it is kosher for Passover, though some do put it into the category of kitniyot. If you’re unsure about it, ask a trusted rabbinical authority. With regards to the mayo, I’ve never heard that it protects foods from spoiling, that is very interesting. I tend to follow my mom’s advice to be careful with it– food borne illness is no fun, and I’d rather be safe than sorry. Mom always knows best. 😉

This looks amazing. My daughter found it on Pinterest and has informed me that I will be making it this year. We had been looking for some new quinoa recipes and have been using it during Pesach for the last few years. Can’t wait to make it! Thanks for sharing.

I love Quinoa but thought it was a grain (with lots of protein) and wondered if it is allowed for Passover (not a meat Sedar) but for a dairy meal? It sounds wonderful! Could you please include nutritional information with your wonderful recipes?

Hi Lea Carol, most Jews do allow quinoa during Passover because it is technically a seed, not a grain. There are kosher for Passover quinoa boxes on the shelves of my kosher market already! However, you should check with your Rabbi if you’re concerned– not everybody agrees that quinoa is acceptable, so it’s best to contact a trusted rabbinical authority.

Re: nutrition information, right now I am super busy with creating content for this site. Unfortunately, entering each and every recipe into a nutrition calculator is not something I have the time to do (maybe someday when I have people to help– right now, it’s just me!). However, there are many nutrition calculators online that can help you out, just search “nutrition calculator” and many will come up. Hope that helps!

Theres nothing in this that would go bad if it was frozen, but the problem would be reheating it so that it actually tasted good. I’ve never tried it, but I would imagine that the quinoa would do much better than rice to reheat. If you do freeze it, you will need to add extra broth so that it doesn’t get dry.

Quinoa is a great passover option. I also have a family of non-mushroom eaters. Here’s my recipe for roasted vegetable quinoa salad that goes down a treat, and is good for passover and the rest of the year (both recipes are on my blog): http://wp.me/P1M7Tg-rX Happy Passover!

Well, let me amend that. I wouldn’t criticize or mock aversion to anything that had eyes. But a plant food? Puhleeze. I’ve got no patience! Well, I do know a few people who refuse to eat any fish product, whether it be tuna, salmon, shrimp, anything. That’s particularly dumb, too.